Ngauruhoe Belches Ash And Rocks

Chronicle (Levin), 11 February 1949, Page 5

Ngauruhoe Belches Ash And Rocks

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AUCKLAND, Feb. 10. , After being shrouded in heavy low cloud for most of the day, Mt. Ngatiru hoe burst out shortly befpre 8 o'clock conight tp give guesfcs .and staff at the Uhateau Tongariro, one of the most magnilicent and brilliant dispiays evei seen in the Dominion, Huge bouldors giowing witlr their intense heat, were fchrown as if from a giant Roman candle, hundreds of feet into the air, co cascade around the peak and roil m a shower of sparks and flre, down the moixntain slopes. Each new shower was heralded by a cleep rumble from the cpater's throai and heavy black smoke roge in great coliunns to tower r/oove the scene. The windows and chandeliers in the Chateau shook with each tremor. Although from a distance tlie mouu tain appeared fairly quiet during thi-> morning and earlv afternoon, there hasbeen no real respite since aetivity first began eariy yetserday morning. Deep rumbles likened to that of a battery of guns being lired, aceompanted by heavy black smoke, emerged from the mountain throughout Wednesday ani after sniiset when the mountain was elear of cloud, flames could be seen in the erater from the Chateau. Showers of rock were also observed but they dta not reach the height of tonight's erup tion. A particularly loud crash shook thc building shortly after 9 o'clock lasi night but a mueh more severe clap awoke almost everybody in the hotel at 3 o'clock this morning. Some of them, frightened by the fierceness of the blast, got iip and dressed to watch tlie display un'til dawn. At about 5.30 a.ni. Ihe whole build ing was shaken by a yiolent eartliquake. Swing doors and other moveable fixtures were set in motion for some minutes but nothing was damaged: Low cloud covered the mountain for the remainder of the day. Every threequarters of an hour Ngauruhoe gave a particularly deep rumble behind its

cloudy v-eil. There were, " hovvever, softer sonnds of continuous aetivity. At about 3 p.m. an explosion was particularly violent and shortly afterward tlncloud above the summit cleared away for a brief interval to reveal heav\ rolls of black smoke emerging from the crater. The peak was soon hidden again. Another loud ,clap oecurred at 4 p.m. Low rumbling continued behind the .cloud until about 7.45 p.m. when the red' glow of flames penetrated the veil. This gradually cleared away to reveal a blazing inferno and a continuous shower o red-hot stones was erupted. The effect of the scene was made more a ,ve-iiispiring by the presence of clouds mingled with the black smoke which rose to heights of up to 15,000 feet. As the eruptions became- more violent, the size and intensity of the showers oi rocks increased and every few seconds they were seen to hurtle down the mountain slopes. Guests from the hotel spent the evening watching the vivid display.

Major W. Barney, of the United Btates Air Force, who is visiting the mountain as one of the Paciflc Science Congress delegates, said he had seen Vesuvius erupting in 1944 but that. dis plav was nothing like as speptaeular as Ngauruhoe 's exhibition.

A party of six guests and a guide travelled to the Mangatepopo hut' at th 1 foot of Ngauruhoe today. Three of ihem went about a mile further. The guide said the party arrived at the hut at about 1 o'clock. Rumbling was continuous and white hot stones were thrown out in bursts of five seconds intervals. There was no lava but the , whole area surrounding the mountain was sprayed with ash. When they approaehed it the mountain was shrouded with cloud but with each explosion the intense heat cleared the peak for some seconds. Looking up they could see stones being hurled to a tremendous height. The small ones seemed to fali baelc into- the erater but they could watch others from the time they were hurled aloft, until they fell into the clouds surrounding the peak. A fraction of a second later the rocks fell out ot the clouds and crashed against the mountain' slopes. One fell about 200 yards from the nearest member of thc party. Later tonight the display was hidden by a thickening of the clouds around Ihe peak but the noise continued.